YoMoves

Exalted: Fall of Creation

The rest of the evening for Axley had gone relatively uneventfully. Seeing that Cilia had chosen her own room, Axley ended up letting Sasuke sleep in the other bed, deciding to simply sleep in her mangy bard's outfit caked with dirt, blood, and grime...why again? As Axley fought to sleep, she had to combat such thoughts of idiocy before she finally drifted off, allowing the exhaustion from the past several days and the absolute fluffy splendor of the soft bed to carry her into a deep, dreamless slumber, the first real sleep she'd had since the cataclysm struck the Imperial Rubble. She was out well before Fergus returned to give candies; she was wholly unaware of his kind gesture, relegated instead to trying to be as well-rested as possible to tackle what was still quite some journeying left to come.

She awoke to an empty room. No doubt Sasuke had woken at the crack of dawn and left to do the shopping she had denied him the evening prior. That worked out well for her, as she was finally able to shed her dirty clothing and call down to the inn's staff to request some bathing water. If she was going to be meeting the mayor, she wasn't going to look like she'd been dragged through a muddy trench to do it. Her morning was spent soaking her dirty feeling away, letting a bar of goat fat soap scrub away all the uncleanliness she could find. She took a relatively quick bath, doing what she could to soak her clothes and wash them while the water was still hot. The morning was relatively cool and breezy, so Axley took to hanging her wear outside the window, allowing the gentle wind to dry her clothes while she flopped back into bed, enjoying the downy goodness of the comforter for what little remaining time she could. She doubted she would be seeing such luxury again soon.

With clothes dry and a full night's rest, Axley donned her bard's gear once again and headed downstairs, casting a quick glance to the owner's husband and ordering herself a simple ham steak, hold the eggs and double the cornbread. Just the way she liked it back at the taverns she had populated doing her job. She was in the middle of happily digging into her final hearty meal of her stay when Fergus had presented her with her ceremonial blade, newly reforged at the ironsmith's and returned before she'd come downstairs. The changes were subtle, but when Axley gripped the hilt of the blade it no longer felt unbalanced and wobbly; it had been reworked on the fly into something more than usable in combat...while retaining her family's crest and intricate design. It was not a master's work...but certainly well on the rise to mastership. She'd have tipped the one responsible if she had the coin spare.

With little else to do but wait, Axley finished her breakfast and made small talk with the owner's daughter. Turns out she was multitalented in the musical arts; while she mostly entertained with the flute, she had been practicing the fiddle as well and was near ready for a public performance. Axley gave her what advice she could, especially in the manner of playing to the crowd and other helpful advice to help her stand out in the mind's eye of the average inngoer. Making an impression was just as important as the music one played, after all. She was unfortunately forced to cut her little lesson short, however, as it seemed one 'Master Hsu' had decided to come to them as the leader of the village. Axley bade the young girl farewell before joining the others, silently keeping towards the back of their small group. Diplomacy wasn't exactly her forte. Best to let the lawyer and mercenary handle this conversation.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Axley's face didn't show a skip of a beat as her business proposal was shot down the moment the shriek of what could be no less than a banshee was heard overhead, and didn't even bat an eye as she was talked down to by the rather assumptive and, dare she say, hot-blooded woman who seemed to claim ownership of the place. No, what she did instead was quickly stay the hand of her partner in crime. She could sense the animosity coming from the younger woman, and violence would get them absolutely nowhere. She'd had her fair share of rejections before; it was all part of the job, though she rarely had one so...close-minded and shrill. She debated simply packing it in and marching her way over to the other inn across the way, but before plans could formulate in her head, the voice of Fegus was quick to drown out any thoughts.

Seemed she was stuck taking the handout one way or another. To contradict the lawyer at this point would look terrible to the rather judgmental woman who changed tune faster than she did between songs, and as much as she had her pride, she did not have any desire to mess up their time here along with her own. With a weak sigh, Axley put on a winning smile, bowing her head and saying nothing more on the matter, silently hating the moment until she could get out of the limelight. It could be a cruel mistress, it could, but the owner was quick to move on...so she might as well follow suit.

Chasing Fergus to the nearest table, Axley frowned for a moment at the choices. After what little they'd had the last few days, if it wasn't on her dime, might as well go for the food that sounded the most delicious. And that was..."The fried onion balls, please." Axley could remember the last time she'd had fried food; it was a couple of weeks before she'd lost her livelihood the first time. It was a rare treat for her to indulge in 'lowlife food', as her father had called it, but somehow it always was more scrumptious than the dinners he deigned to cook whenever he was home. Always a curious happenstance, especially when she looked back on it.

With the barrister, Snow, and Sasuke likely handling the more urgent parts of business that evening, that left time for Axley to simply try and relax for the night, something she hadn't had the opportunity to do in the last few days. Usually to relax, she'd tune her lute and play a song for herself, but she knew she couldn't risk doing such a thing on the main floor, lest she invoke the ire of the owner yet again. She hadn't played in days now...a rare streak for her to uphold and one she intended on breaking the moment she got the chance. Likely later, once everyone went to sleep, she might play herself a lullaby. But until then, dinner had been served, and all thoughts beyond hunger fled her mind as she took the first delicious bite. When all you'd had but jerky the last several days, this may as well have been prepared by the gods themselves.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Now that everyone had finally decided to get along, Axley was more than eager to get this long journey out of the way. Follow the river, and things should go smoothly, right? It was a long journey, longer than Axley had had since her fleeing of her old home. Fitting, in an odd, depressing way. She was not one to grow tired; she spent entire days on her feet working the streets of the Imperial Ruins, and a long trek through the woods would not put her out so easily, especially when she knew that, in spite of her relative worthlessness in the field, the rest of the group was relying on her to stay strong and stalwart, even in the face of danger. Danger that seemed to crop up everywhere they went, even denying them easy access to the first town they came across. She had nearly rushed in of her own volition, expecting, almost hoping that she would find respite from the wear and tear of grief and travel. Unfortunately, it seemed this town had already been razed to the ground by whatever forces stood in their way. How incredibly frustrating. At least they seemed they had moved on...but they still couldn't enter. It was too dangerous if any forces were left behind for cleanup duty or as a sentry.

With a weary sigh, Axley continued to plod onward. Another night in camp was not welcome, but Axley managed to make do by taking the first shift while everyone else slept, leaving her alone to voice her darkest worries to herself with nobody listening. That alone was more than a load off; she was finally able to argue herself out of her inner despair. They would persevere, one way or another, no matter what darkness stood in their path. By the time her shift had ended, she was a reinvigorated woman, filled with the energy and desire to press onwards once more. Her efforts were rewarded by a sleepy fishing village later in the day. Two inns in such a small town...it almost felt as though it were crafted for the both of them. Axley was hurting for some well-prepared food instead of simply survivalist scrap. She normally would have worked a night and gotten her rest. After two days, she figured doing such a thing might work again. Hearing Fergus and Sasuke mention paying for everything brought a scowl to her face. How patronizing. She wasn't of the elite class, but at least she could still earn a living, even out here. She'd just have to prove it.

Funnily enough, Cilia had the same idea. As Axley watched her quickly pull an easy makeover in ten seconds flat, the bard couldn't help but smile. She'd helped Cilia get a bit more in touch with her feminine side when they both lived at Snow's sanctuary, and seeing her blossom so easily was almost a success in her own eyes. She'd grown up so much in just the few years she'd known her. And yet, Snow seemed a bit concerned on the matter of her exposing herself for monetary gain. The glare from Axley as Snow questioned her actions could have cut a metal sheet in half before she softened her gaze somewhat. He didn't deserve that kind of anger for being concerned. "Come on, Snow. Cilia is just doing what she feels is good for us. And do you honestly believe I'd let such a young blossom be deflowered so easily? I've been doing this for a living. I certainly wouldn't allow someone I care for to fall prey to the pratfalls of exhibitionism." Axley calmly dissuaded Snow's concerns before joining the young rogue as she spoke of the pair's talents. "Axley here at your service." The bard took a theatrical bow, lute in hand as though she were about to put on a performance. "I've played at a great number of inns and taverns and would be honored to add your own to my growing list of haunts. For the simple cost of a meal and a bed, I will be sure to leave your patrons enthralled and unwary of the jade they're dropping just to stay and listen to my song."

Exalted: Fall of Creation

All this talk of Sasuke being a spy and that he was not to be trusted was getting on Axley's nerves. She knew the mercenary. While he carried an excellent blade, she knew his moral compass pointed mostly north. He was a little too thick to pull off a convincing spy routine, and for him to actively choose to work for the enemy would require some incredibly dark magic indeed. She trusted Sasuke to beat the snot out of anyone foolish enough to try such a thing on him. Had Snow gone on for very much longer, Axley would have given him the stare of death. She nearly cast it Fergus's way as well when he seemed to agree that it was right to be suspicious, but luckily, in her eyes, logic and sense won out and trust was extended forward. She left the men to their grandstanding for a moment, sighing as she went over to where Cilia had been standing and stood beside her in silence for a moment.

Only after a moment's quiet did she shake her head and sigh. "Men." The single word brought a sigh of annoyance. "Everything's a conspiracy to them, I swear..." She rolled her eyes and stared into the water with her friend. So much had happened in a day. Pain, suffering, and strange reunitings, all brought about by the cataclysm that had destroyed what Axley was now intent on calling the Imperial Rubble. It seemed she wasn't allowed to live anywhere she went; still, at least she could find use in at least being a messenger. Perhaps then she might be offered refuge and the long, painful journey from noble to peasant could finally reach its close. She'd fallen so far in just two years...if she couldn't stop it herself, surely someone else could help, right?

Her internal monologue over, she rested a hand on Cilia's shoulder for a moment, glad she at least had her friends to help her cope in these incredibly difficult times. There was always a smiling face to help her anchor herself and keep thinking straight; she might not have said it to their faces, but she would be eternally grateful that they still survived to this day. Glancing back to the men, it had appeared they were finally getting along. "If you guys are done bickering, we should probably not waste any more daylight. Who knows when the undead horde starts shambling our way again?" Axley pointed out the urgency of their movement before turning to Cilia. "Let's get them to keep up. If they get to fighting again we'll never get there."

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Axley was used to sleeping on the streets. Before she had found Snow and gotten his help to get back on her feet, there had been a corner right on the outskirts of the market district that she had called her home. She was used to terrible sleeping conditions...and was just as used to being rudely awoken in the middle of the night. Not that she enjoyed any of it for a moment, of course; when it was her turn to go on watch for the night, she grumbled as unhappily as anyone else would. But she at least knew she wouldn't pass out on the job. Thankfully, it seemed whatever army still remained within the Soulbreaker Orb's radius was either not headed their way or still deciding on what to do next, as their night went thankfully uninterrupted. Thank the gods for that.

Axley was the one who had the final watch before they moved on, so she was more than prepared to move as everyone else woke up with the dawn's light. She quietly urged everyone on, still wanting to be absolutely nowhere near the Imperial Rubble lest they find the undead horde moving out without being prepared. She had spent plenty of time inspecting her ceremonial sword; despite her sparing use and precious care of the blade, she could tell the weapon was beginning to fall apart. She had no idea how much longer she would be able to keep the blade intact; maybe if they got to Lord's Crossing, she could find some way to leech some money off of Fergus to get it reforged. She'd have up and gotten a new one entirely, but considering it was one of only two links to her past she knew of, it held quite a fair bit of sentimental value to the bard. Memories of a life long gone now, stored deep within the slightly tarnished metal and wood varnish of her lute. Memories of a life now two 'lives' removed. First a noble, then a street urchin, now a refugee.

As the group began to head out, Fergus called out to someone-or something-he spotted on the other side of the stream they were going to follow. Axley had had her mind on what would happen when they got to Lord's Crossing; she hadn't been on watch, and she chastised herself for her wandering mind. But if they were truly going to be accosted so soon after their harrowing escape, Axley was prepared to simply put whoever it was that would challenge them in the ground. She had had enough combat and running for her life to last several lifetimes, all in the span of a few hours. If they were going to have to do it all over again...

...

...wait.

Wait.

Axley knew that name. And given the unique surname, she knew there was no way it was some mere coincidental case of mistaken identity. Though given what background she knew of the man, it would be no surprise that he of all people would survive the carnage...it still was more of a surprise than Axley was looking for. Why did everything all have to happen at once? She'd thought she'd never see him again after she left her home behind....left everything behind. And yet...he was a survivor as well.

Would he even recognize her? It had been over two years now. She turned to Fergus and the rest of her ragtag group, a strangely nervous and apprehensive look on her face. "It's fine. I...know him. Er...knew him." Axley bit her lip awkwardly. How was she going to approach this? Given their interactions in the past...she didn't know how much he knew about her father's intentions, but if he had caught on at all...

"Survivor is one way of putting it, I guess." Axley took charge, doing her best not to sound nervous. She wondered if he'd even recognize her. "We're trying to get to Lord's Crossing so we can regroup and try to make sense of all this mess." That was the gist of their plan, anyways. She turned back to Fergus, Snow, and Cilia. "Sasuke is a very accomplished warrior, as I remember. We'd be in a much safer position if he came along with us." That was spoken with a little bit of bile in her mouth. Strategically, yes, it made perfect sense, but for Axley, it was going to be a nightmare. How would she be able to speak with him...? Surely he knew of her family's corruption now...

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Axley wasn't usually a particularly touchy person, so when she suddenly found the churchman softly nestled in her own arms, feeling the gentle touch of his own around her, it took a moment of blinking to rightly focus herself. As a bard, she'd entertained drunken souls many a time, and some men were quite...affectionate when inebriated, to say the utmost least. Still, this was different. Snow's touch was surprisingly gentle and even respectful, far removed from the 'hugs' she'd gotten to know. It took a moment for Axley to adjust to the feeling of someone who truly cared to be embracing her, and by the time she had prepared herself to return it, it had already left her. Axley was left with a mildly perplexed look on her face and little else.

As Fergus decided pleasantries were in order, Axley opened her mouth to speak before the barrister immediately jumped into his own background. Axley listened quietly, figuring perhaps she should not be so eager to introduce herself. After all, her own past was quite shady and filled with darkness and embarrassment. Though...she highly doubted Snow would judge her, and if the world was going to shit, it wasn't like family names meant anything beyond connections...of which Axley currently had none. She hadn't shared her past with Cilia or even with Snow; whenever they had spoken of where she came from or why, she would clam up immediately and try to shoo them away in humility. Now...well, it wasn't like there was anything she was holding at stake anymore.

She didn't listen to Cilia or Snow quite as closely as she had Fergus, considering she already knew their backgrounds by and large. She had assumed she was the one of the most prestigious descent, though it seemed Fergus came from a rather pedigreed line of his own. It made her feel a little better...though her family had certainly fallen much further. She waited for Snow's slightly painful recounting of his past to come to a close before she took a glance around. "Guess I'm the only one left." Axley closed her eyes for a moment, sighing and taking a deep breath. She'd never shared what she was about to speak. She wasn't even sure Snow and Cilia knew her last name....

"My name is Axley Crawford. I doubt either of you two recognize that name, but the more politically and financially learned of the four of us might recognize the surname." Axley's eyes flashed to Fergus for a moment; just how much would he know? Her home had been quite some distance from the Imperial Ruins, and her family hadn't had ground-shaking clout, but they were still a well-known and wealthy merchant family before the incident. "I was born your typical lower-ranking noble's girl. Taught to read and write, picked up an appealing hobby, trained in music...you know, what merchants do when they're trying to get their daughters to marry for political gain." Axley had to bite her tongue from saying more; she'd come to many realizations of her father's desire for power and corruption, but those were saved for a later time.

"But the Crawford's fortune was not all...honestly earned. It used to be, back before my birth, so I was told, but once a child rearing was brought into the mix, my father began to grow greedy. He didn't want to have to spend significant funds on raising a child, but having one was oh so good for his public image." The biting sarcasm in Axley's voice was prominent, though her restraint was noticeable. "The mob got involved. I don't know the details, but it seemed as though whenever my father wished to get a commission, searched for a political foothold, he would always suspiciously have his roadblocks cleared for him. A little blackmailing here, a bit of strongarming there...and one murder."

Axley tried to gloss over that moment as best she could; she'd managed to track down the family of the man, the barrister, who her father had put a hit on, but couldn't force herself to try and contact them; there was no guarantee they wouldn't seek her arrest by association. "But that one murder had a heavy cost. The mob began to threaten my father, demand more and more of the ill-gotten fortune he'd amassed. And rather than cave to the stronger group's demands, he stood firm. Why, I'll never know...but one day I woke up to my home burning to the ground. I barely managed to make it out with my life and what little I could grab around me. The rest...it was gone. By the time I'd returned after I'd escaped, the place had been looted of any valuables that remained. My parents...didn't make it."

"With no fortune left and an embarrassment of my family and home my only legacy, I decided to start completely new and took the first ship away to new locales...and that's how I ended up here." Snow knew the rest, but she trusted him not to mention her struggles, her poverty before she had met him. She didn't need to demoralize herself any more than the day had already.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Axley wasn't sure if she should feel bad that she didn't feel as badly as perhaps she ought to for the destruction of the Imperial Ruins. Yes, it had been her home, but...it hadn't been her home that long. She had only just begun to truly live her life once again after having it taken away from her in similar, if not quite so flashy, fashion. Now it was all gone a second time. In spite of the terrible case of deja vu she was getting, Axley felt...hollow. She had seen it all before. Innocent people losing their lives for relatively no reason, homes and gardens and more being pillaged and destroyed just for the sake of watching it burn. Deep down, she felt jealous of those who had perished. At least they didn't have to endure the anguish of witnessing not simply their own, but everyone's demise.

Someone HAD broken, however. From the ear-splitting cry, she had briefly believed it to be Fergus, but finding Sparrow to be the one shrieking to the heavens was not what she had expected to greet her. She overheard his promise spoken beneath his breath, if only just. A concerned look grew on the bard's face; she had spent her entire life only caring about herself and what made her a success. When she had had it all ripped from her, she had expected ridicule and shunning wherever she had gone. But Sparrow had taken her in in her hour of need, gotten her situated and on the right path once more...all without asking for a penny out of pocket. Axley had learned so much from him about compassion for others and the ability to have a heart for those around her. She wasn't well-versed in it yet, but she could see an opportunity to make amends for her selfishness in the past when it arose. Even as she made up her mind to console one man, the other broke as well. She couldn't say she knew Fergus as well as Snow, but the barrister was likely the most well-off of the four of them. It wouldn't have surprised her in the least if he hadn't seen a moment of hardship in his life before; he probably didn't have the faintest idea what to make of the situation. Granted, neither did they; but at least they'd either suffered or seen so much suffering that they knew what it was like. Thankfully, Cilia was seeing to him, which eased her mind enough to focus on her own friend.

She slowly turned away from the destruction behind her, finding it easier to focus when the horizon of death was not directly in front of her, and approached the man who'd given so much of his life to others. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder as she witnessed his pained anguish up close, understood more clearly his oath of vengeance. Axley shook her head and lifted the man's chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. "You would sooner wish suicide upon yourself than succeed in that goal. You saw those monsters. We were barely able to subdue just a few of them. If we were to fight their whole army, even with the four of us..." Axley closed her eyes for a moment, letting the truth of her words sink in. "I know I can't speak for your entire flock, but..." Axley knew what she wanted to say, but wasn't sure exactly how to say it. After a moment, she gave up trying and just let the words flow. "They would want you to carry on your duty. Whoever needs help...they would want you to extend your endless generosity to them. And right now, we need you to stay with us. We will need your strength this time more than your kindness but...we would surely be lost if you were not here with us." A gentle smile from the bard as she allowed herself to draw close. "No more talk of revenge. Not until we make sure we wouldn't die trying. I'd lose it if you fell now."

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Axley was finding conversation quite difficult in that moment. Her body protested her refusal to rest; even her mind was telling her to at least sit down, if not pass out entirely, but she found herself unable to acquiesce; adrenaline still rushed through her body, willing her to remain standing, to keep moving lest something decide to chase them regardless. They hadn't seen any pursuers for miles, yet she still didn't feel safe. Something was still wrong, beyond the sudden assault on her town for seemingly no reason. If it was just a raid of the undead...why? What motive could there have possibly been in such aimless, mass slaughter? Axley's brain hurt just trying to think about the possibilities. Even as they rested, the strange behemoth was moving once more, activity still taking place. She found it hard to tear her gaze away, even as food and drink was passed around.

To both, Axley waited until everyone else had had some before taking her own. Part of that dated back to her teachings on etiquette back with her family, but more was concern that everyone else would be able to manage to keep going. Even as Cilia mentioned her unwillingness to filch the supplies she had, Axley shook her head. "It's not like they're going to be needing it anymore...I doubt anyone left would be particularly inclined or qualified to press charges. Not that we'd be able to tell whose those were anyways." Axley tried to be helpful and reassuring, but even she was finding it hard to remain cheerful...and she made money based on acting that way.

Their movements had slowed considerably, enough for Axley's adrenaline to wear off and her body to regret the hours of sprinting it had just done. Her entire being screamed for rest and sleep, for a day's time if not more. That time was luckily drawing near, as they had broken for camp and even lit a small fire to keep them warm as the sun receded beyond the horizon. Axley was struggling to keep her eyes open as she stared into the flickering flames, contemplating the events that had led to this moment. Somehow, she had managed to make it this far with people she knew, people she cared about...and that Fergus fellow. In most other circumstances, she'd still resent him for being the messenger of destroying Snow's place of business and nearly his livelihood, but...she couldn't fault him for anything that had just happened. Even had he not arrived, the outcome would have been about the same.

She was about to walk over to apologize to the barrister when activity on the horizon of the ruined city caught her attention. Axley rose from her seat to catch sight of the growing, dark energy that was fast expanding to reach the city limits, even drawing near to their location. "What in the...?" Axley could only stop and stare as the radius drew closer; she took a few steps forward, hypnotized by imminent, pointless demise, only for the oncoming death to cease movement, and disappear with a strangely profound explosion that wrenched at the bard's heart in a way she'd not felt since the loss of her family and her home. Somehow...she knew things would never return to normal at the Imperial Ruins. In fact, something deep in her gut told her the Imperial Ruins were gone. Everything she'd built up over the last two years in an attempt to salvage her own existence...

"Sparrow, do you...um..." Axley wasn't sure what she wanted to say. That everyone was dead? That they could never go back? "...nevermind." Her voice was hushed and distant as she stared into the haze, wishing to see something but knowing in the pit of her gut that nothing would come from that place ever again. They and they alone had been spared...and to what end...?

Exalted: Fall of Creation

There was no need to command Axley to keep running; spending hours upon hours walking from place to place was not the ideal training for distance running, but it helped keep her at least moving. As she continued to weave through the slowly widening and separating roads as they approached the edge of town, Axley's calves began to scream at her, beg her for rest and remorse; they'd never had to work so hard in their entire lives, never had to be pushed beyond their limits as Axley was then. But she couldn't stop and give them rest. To give them rest would be to give her eternal rest. She found herself having to drag Cilia away from various dropped items almost as much as Snow was. Cilia was one of the few people she recognized that she knew for a fact hadn't been killed, vaporized, or worse, and she damn well refused to have that number shrink any further.

She just had to keep running. Running, running, running, until she couldn't go on, and then just keep running a little bit longer. She could have sworn they'd been sprinting for an hour or more, and still the cries of the undead echoed in the distance, the slamming of mystical mortars still heard as plain as day. She still didn't feel safe. The last time she'd lost her home, she'd run so far she nearly left the town itself in her desperation to escape her own demise...had she gone even further this time? She didn't even have time to think about that. Movement was the only thing that could fill her head and drive her actions, or she'd falter and be lost to the void.

Finally, at long last, Fergus' body gave out long enough for everyone to be forced to take a break. Axley's steps slowed, but did not stop as her exhausted body found it too much to even stop her movement; instead, her foot caught on a stone and her body sprawled against the grassy earth, the only noise for the longest time her lungs' greedy gasps of air. She felt she never needed to run ever again and she'd still be caught up on exercise for the rest of her life.

She barely heard the barrister's words and suggestions. It took a moment before her oxygen-deprived mind put the words and meanings together and understood what he was saying. "F...fuck that...." Axley spat what little moisture she still had in her mouth before taking another deep gulp of air. "We...gotta keep moving. I won't feel even...temporarily safe...until the Ruins are gone from the horizon." Axley put forth her defiance; it wasn't safe to change course yet. They still needed to look out for themselves. Even as she spoke Axley's worn body was forcing itself up again, her drive to live far greater than her own body's weakness.

Exalted: Fall of Creation

Heavy footsteps thudded against the cobblestone as Axley led the pack through the streets of town, but she couldn't even hear them over the raining mortars and screams of the public. She could have sworn she could hear the occasional jeer of some sinister force as well, but she simply did not have time to even think about that possibility. Axley rounded a corner, looking to lead them down a narrow alleyway to take a quick shortcut, but came to a screeching halt as they were accosted by four armed warriors...one looking far more dangerous than the rest. Luckily, it seemed the female had absolutely no interest in them at all; granted, three trained foot soldiers was a bad bet for them regardless. Axley had almost no real combat training, and had rudimentary swordplay practice in her lessons in self-defense most bards decided to undergo. Everything else was learned on the fly, often to deal with hecklers or particularly drunk and randy pub-goers.

But this...this was far more real. Were she to fail here, she'd lose a lot more than dignity. Sparrow and Fergus seemed capable of handling their own, but the third soldier was more confident in the others, stepping to the two females with a particularly disconcerting leer in his eye. He went for Cilia first; Axley took the opportunity to slink around him in a flanking maneuver as he engaged her friend, silently thankful Cilia knew enough to distract the man and keep herself alive. She nearly cried out for her as she watched the blade cut into Cilia's flesh, but the flying book gave her just enough time to get behind the assailant while he was momentarily distracted by the pain of the heavy bound cover smacking into his face. It looked like it stung, but it wouldn't for long; she had to act fast.

An unexpected kick to the undead's back leg sent him to one knee as he tried to turn to deal with the new threat. Axley didn't give him the chance to recover; another kick, now to his back, put him on his hands and knees for the briefest of moments. Pure adrenaline kept Axley moving; in a single motion she strode forward, foot coming down hard on a leg to keep the soldier from rising before drawing her ceremonial blade. The warrior was not heavily armored, luckily; her blade, she knew, wouldn't be able to take many jarring shots, even though she'd had it sharpened for some form of combat. With a single heavy stab downwards, the blade skewered the undead's chest, uncleanly spattering blood over her bard's outfit as she had to forcibly yank the blade from the undead's body as it stuck fast. She didn't even know if she'd hit anything vital, or if an undead could shake it off and laugh before continuing the assault. She had to keep moving; the others had started to take off again and she'd be left behind if she dawdled. With a rush of adrenaline-fueled speed, Axley bolted back to the group, gasping for breath as she did her best to lead them once more. She had just taken her first 'life'...but her own was still on the line.